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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Painting, Decorating & Tiling Questions >> Removing artex https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1169576825 Message started by warwood on Jan 23^rd, 2007, 6:27pm

Title: Removing artex
Post by warwood on Jan 23^rd, 2007, 6:27pm

Hello everybody!
We have just bought our first house and the previous owners (in their infinite wisdom) have artexed the walls and ceiling. All of them.
So we tried getting the stuff off in the bedroom, but they did the artex over the wallpaper so its coming off really easily. The problem is the other walls and ceiling.
We've done our research as we knew that artex used to contain asbestos, but this stuff is just plaster. So, any ideas as to the best way to get it off??
We've got an industrial steamer, and if we put that on the wall it scrapes off pretty easily, but it means somehow levelling the ceiling off afterwards. What if we just bought a belt sander and sanded the stuff off (obviously whilst wearing full face protection). Any ideas?? :-?
Also, a lot of the plaster on the walls is crumbling after we remove wallpaper/tiles which have obviously been up for many, many years. Should we take the wall back to brick then put up plaster board, or should we leave as is and just put up plywood? Any ideas on this would be welcomed as we really don't have any idea on this one!
Thanks in advance for any help/advice. Don't be under the illusion this will be the last of my queries though - the previous owner appears to have been a major bodge artist!!

Title: Re: Removing artex
Post by JerryD on Jan 23^rd, 2007, 8:04pm

Belt sanding a ceiling................Don't go there!

Scrape off all the highest points (use a metal floor scraper for this) and get the ceiling replastered over the old stuff (assuming it's well stuck on there).

Industrial wallpaper steamers can blow the plaster if left too long in one position, keep it moving, scraping as you go.

Only a visit by a plaster will tell you whether it's better to hack off the old wall plaster and start again. You need to see it to to be able to answer that one I'm afraid.

Don't like the idea of ply over the walls, what's that for? Dot'n dab is acceptable but it's nowhere as easy as you may think and you've still got to get this skim coated.

Ask a couple of plastering companies to visit and suggest what's best. :)